Walter Smith backs Ally McCoist to succeed him

Ally McCoist's credentials as the next manager of Rangers received a further
boost when Walter Smith added his backing to the declaration by Sir David
Murray, the Ibrox chairman, that McCoist would be a natural successor.

"I hope that Alistair does get the opportunity. He finds himself in the same position as I was in with Graeme Souness and once you've been assistant manager for a few years you want to take the top job," said Smith.

"He'll only get that opportunity if we're successful. If Graeme hadn't had the level of success as a manager I don't think I would have been asked to take over from him. The Chairman has made it clear that the same thing applies now. Alistair would bring a great deal to the job and I certainly hope that he does get the opportunity whenever it comes round. Letting him take the side in the Scottish Cup last season was to give him experience of leading the team. It wasn't about making him a better manager when it comes round.

"We all get involved in football in different ways. I started when I was quite young with reserve teams. But to step up to the first team you need experience of handling them, so that was a good one for Alistair."

DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers' American winger, added his voice to the chorus of backing for McCoist. "You see on the training pitch that he still loves the game and that he has so much passion for the club. He was here for so long and scored so many goals, I think it is just part of him," said Beasley.

"I think he would be a great asset if he were to become the gaffer. All the guys respect him and know what he's done for this club and it would be something that we'd all be excited about.

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"He's the most vocal on the training pitch and I don't think it would be a problem, whenever Walter Smith decides it's the right time to leave, to have Coisty as the number one."

Rangers are at home to Aberdeen this afternoon, having been given a nasty fright by St Mirren's late rally at Ibrox last week. Smith must do without Kenny Miller, who has a calf injury, and Madjid Bougherra and Sasa Papac are doubtful while Steven Davis could also be absent for family reasons. Darren Mackie is a doubt for Aberdeen after suffering a hamstring injury in last week's 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.

Aberdeen have not won at Ibrox for 17 years and the Pittodrie manager, Jimmy Calderwood, has told his players they must be brave to end that dismal record. "If they defend too deeply it will give Kris Boyd more of a chance of hurting us – and he'll take it – which we have to avoid to give our midfield and forwards the chance to have a go at Rangers.

"And we can't continue to hand out free gift goals as we have done this season, but the good thing about playing Rangers at Ibrox is that they will take the game to us and that will let us do the same to them – if we have the belief in ourselves."

By kick-off at Ibrox, Rangers will know how Celtic have fared against St Mirren at Love Street. A Celtic victory will extend their lead over Rangers to seven points, albeit perhaps temporarily, on what is their last visit to Love Street before Saints move to their new stadium.

"To be honest, I never really liked the pitch there," said Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager. "It was always tarry black stuff underneath the grass and they used to have an ash track, so you would come off tar and step on to ash – not very glamorous."

Strachan also recollected one match he played for Aberdeen under Alex Ferguson, when a last minute goal for St Mirren provoked an apoplectic rant by the manager in the dressing room, the air of which was filled by curses, boots and sandwiches throughout. "When Fergie finished there was a dead silence, but there was a small window into the corridor outside and a head suddenly appeared. It was Alex McLeish's wee brother, saying, 'Mum wants to know if you're coming home tonight or going back to Aberdeen with the team'. That started Fergie off again," said Strachan, who has seen one of his own decisions go awry this week.

He had imposed a policy of no physical contact at training because of mounting injuries, but lifted the imposition as the casualty list reduced. "Then Massimo Donati kicked somebody and broke his toe," he said.

"We have so many injuries we'll have to look at the players tomorrow morning to work out what the team might be." St Mirren have their own share of woes and will be without Steven Robb, Stephen O'Donnell, David Barron, Antonio Tonet and Tom Brighton.

Hearts quietly shifted up into third place last week and the visit of Falkirk will have something of a derby feel, but the Tynecastle manager, Csaba Laszlo, will have to rearrange his midfield again because Michael Stewart begins a two-game suspension and with Laryea Kingston, Mike Tullberg, Deividas Cesnauskis and Saulius Mikoliunas all injured, he is well short of optimum strength, although Eggert Jonsson is back in the reckoning against a Falkirk side for whom Neil McCann is out and Scott Arfield doubtful.

Hearts displaced Dundee United in the table – the Tannadice team having lost at Kilmarnock. United face another team who have beaten them and they must face Hamilton Academical without Roy O'Donovan, who is suspended. Kilmarnock themselves are at home to Inverness Caley Thistle.

Hibernian and Motherwell, two teams who would not have expected to be in the bottom six at this stage of the campaign, meet at Easter Road.